Tuesday, June 21, 2016

We have recently received a rash of calls
about cleaning up pet urine. So, I thought it would be good to make that the
topic of this newsletter. As funny as this sounds, urine is a rather
sophisticated problem. As a result, it requires slightly different approaches
depending on whether it is fresh or had time to dry.

When Urine is fresh or still wet, the
first step is to remove as much as possible by blotting with a dry towel
or rag. Once you have removed as much as possible by

blotting, consider
applying baking soda to the damp spot. Fresh urine’s PH is on the acidic side
and baking soda will help neutralize it. The baking soda will also act as an
absorbent to pull more of the urine out of the carpet (or rug). Leave the baking
soda on the spot until it is dry. (However, before using baking soda on your
carpet or rug, test it on a non-conspicuous area to make sure it does not
affect the color.) To remove the baking soda from the carpet, you will probably
need to vacuum it many times.

If your pet did not tell you they had an
accident and you come across the spot after it has dried, white vinegar and
water is your best approach. When urine has dried, the PH of the urine salts is
on the alkaline side. Therefore, white vinegar is the best thing to use to
neutralize and to remove the urine from the carpet or rug. To address the spot,
mix 1/3 white vinegar with 2/3 water in a spray bottle. Spray the dried urine
with the mixture, let it sit a few minutes and then remove it by blotting with
a dry towel. This process will probably need to be repeated multiple times.
Finally, the best way to determine if you have gotten the urine out is to
actually smell the area.